Like Hearts
by Lalaith Rana
Summary: Everyone knows that Lily Evans and James Potter hated each other. And everyone knows that they eventually fell in love. This is my take on how that happened. Arguments, pranks, and romance ensue. On hiatus temporarily.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! This is a story that's been in the making for a long time. I have another two chapters already done, but I don't know if I'll continue much past that. It all depends on the response I get here. If people really like it, I'll try to come up with more. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any information that appears in the Harry Potter books. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Anything familiar probably isn't mine so don't sue me for using it :D

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**Like Hearts**

**Chapter 1: Diagon Alley**

He had everything according to the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: the house, the money, the broom, the looks, and the talent; he would have readily agreed with them his first year at school, but it was now his seventh, and last year at Hogwarts and he would give it all up in a heartbeat if only he could have _her_.

James Potter gazed dreamily out of the window of his room atop his parents' mansion at the rain and sighed yet again.

"You still pining over Lily, mate?" Sirius asked, setting his new Cleansweep carefully down on his friend's bed.

"Pining, no. Planning, yes. This is the year. It has to be. If I don't make my Lily Flower fall in love with me, I may never see her again."

"What could you possibly do this year that you haven't already tried in the last six?" Sirius stretched his arms above his head and lay down on the bed, carefully avoiding the new broom. "Except, of course, being yourself around her."

James stifled a yawn before replying. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do exactly, but I'm not waiting around for a miracle." He yawned again.

"Stop trying to impress her," Sirius suggested again before standing and leaving his fellow marauder to his thoughts.

James glanced at his clock: eleven fifty-seven. He climbed into bed and fell asleep to thoughts of Lily.

* * *

Sirius bounded into James's room the next morning with a roll of parchment in his hand, followed closely by an owl that fluttered over to James and began nipping his finger until he awoke—James had closed his window the night before to block out the rain.

"Booklists!" Sirius exclaimed happily, bouncing on James's bed.

James just groaned in reply but sat up and relieved the owl of its burden. "Why is this so heavy?" He broke the Hogwarts seal and found, to his and Sirius's surprise, a Head Boy badge enclosed along with the usual book and supply lists.

"I'm Head Boy?"

"You? You're sure this is your letter, not Remus's? Has Dumbledore lost his touch or… something?"

As if he believed Sirius's suggestion he checked the envelope. Written in emerald green ink (like Lily's eyes, James reflected), was written his name and exact address.

"Prongs, don't you realize what this means?"

"Padfoot, I can't abuse this position. If I catch you pranking a Slytherin while I'm on duty, I will have to give you detention."

"No! Though, that does put you in a tough spot… But think of who you'll be working with! Evans is obviously going to be Head Girl; we've known it since third year. This is your chance!"

A familiar glint revealed itself in James's eye. This was exactly what he needed; this was his chance and he wasn't going to blow it.

"I suddenly have an urge to visit Diagon Alley, my dear Padfoot. Gather your things." James finally clambered out of bed and made his way to the bathroom where he took a quick shower and pulled on some muggle pants: old faded blue-jeans with holes in the knees (reminders of the times he had spent rolling around on the floor fighting. Whether it had been Slytherins or Sirius that had finally ripped them, he didn't know, but they were his favorite). Once back out in his room he dug in his school trunk and found the shirt he was looking for. If Lily was going to be at Diagon Alley he was going to make a good impression he thought as he buttoned the flattering black polo shirt with his trademark golden snitch embroidered on the left side.

He met Sirius in the kitchen, grabbed a piece of toast from the platter laid out by the Potter's house elf, Tibby, and stuffed it into his mouth before summoning some parchment, ink, and a quill and jotting down a quick note in his messy, loopy handwriting.

"Ready?" Sirius questioned.

James nodded and spun on the spot remembering the three D's they had been taught the past year: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. He felt the horrible pressing sensation that comes along with Apparating but seconds later he opened his eyes to find himself exactly where he had meant to be, right outside the Leaky Cauldron. The two friends found it easier to appear there than inside Diagon Alley; you have much less of a risk of landing on top of someone unexpectedly.

A loud crack resounded and Sirius appeared beside him. They walked in, said a quick hello to Tom, the bartender, and walked to the back. James took out his wand and tapped the wall three times. Once the archway opened James and Sirius stepped through into the bustling wizarding marketplace of Diagon Alley.

They were hailed from all directions to which they waved or smiled but upon hearing "Padfoot! Prongs!" they wheeled around and soon spotted their friend Remus Lupin fighting his way through the mass of people.

"Moony!" James exclaimed, clapping his friend on the back. "How have you been?" His eyes portrayed his hidden meaning.

"I've been alright, though last Thursday could have been better. Things are always better with you guys."

"Next time, mate. Next time…" James reassured his friend.

"James, no more rule breaking for you. You're Head Boy," Sirius reminded him.

"Sometimes there are exceptions to the rules where even those enforcing the rules must break them for the well being of a friend."

"You don't have—" Lupin began to remind his friend. He often told them not to go with him on the full moons but they always talked him around.

"I know, Remus. I know I don't have to, but I want to."

"Have you seen any of our friends? Wormtail, for instance?" Sirius questioned referring to their tag-along Peter Pettigrew.

"No. He's coming here next week with his father, but I have seen our little Rose," Remus said with a smirk and a suggestive look at James.

"She's here?" James was suddenly alert and ready. His hand flew to his hair before he realized what he had done and lowered it once again to his side with a weak chuckle. 'Rose' was the Marauders' nickname for Lily. They'd made it up in their fourth year when James had come to terms with his crush on her and she had started to tolerate the Marauders less and less. A lily had no thorns and Lily Evans wasn't by any means defenseless.

"She's at Flourish and Blotts – the new book store here – buying her books and wondering who made Head Boy. She's in for a big surprise," he laughed.

Sirius glanced at James and sighed. His friend was staring hungrily at the bookstore's sign. "What do you think he'd do to us if we went to buy robes first?" he joked.

"Hex us like we were Slytherins?" Remus suggested.

"No, I'd hex you like you were Snivelous," James said. "Can we get going already?"

"I've already got my books, but I'll go with. Come on, Sirius, and get that evil look out of your eyes."

The three friends made their way down the crowded street to the bookstore. As James pulled the door open, a bell rang deep inside the store, and a man just a little older than the Marauders popped up behind the counter.

"Hogwarts? Which books?" the assistant asked as they approached the desk.

"Same as my buddy Lupin here," Sirius answered, pulling out his Hogwarts letter, though it contained a list of books that any seventh year student would need for classes at N.E.W.T. level.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

Seventh-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

One pair of dress robes

Please not that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following for the classes they are taking at N.E.W.T. level:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 7) _by Miranda Goshawk (Charms)

_An In-depth History of Magic _by Albert Quillmer (History of Magic)

_Advanced Potion Making_ by Nicolas Pevertius (Potions)

_One Thousand More Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore (Herbology)

_More Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander (Care of Magical Creatures)

_501 Advanced Defense Spells and How to Use Them_ by Ronald Coville (Defense Against the Dark Arts)

Advanced Transfiguration _by Trans Powers (Transfiguration)_

_Reading the Stars (Predictions and Omens)_ by if you don't know you shouldn't be reading it (Divination)

_Advanced Rune Translations_ by Alianne Pierce

_Muggles: Why They do What They Do_ by A True Muggle

_Advanced Arithmancy_ by Emeric Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

2 cauldrons (pewter, sizes 2 and 4) (Potions)

1 set glass or crystal phials (Potions)

1 telescope (Divination)

1 set brass scales (Potions and Herbology)

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

"Ah, going to be Aurors, are you?" he asked, pushing a stack of five books to both boys. "More power to you. With all this evil popping up we need more of them. We're coming on Dark Times… That's what my mum says, she went to one of those Seers."

"Er—thanks," James said. "Come on, let's find her." They wound in between the shelves of books, looking for a bit of red hair. Occasionally one of them would see something interesting and pause to take a closer look. After they searched the entire store they left. Assuming that she was now in one of the many other stores they went on with their shopping. James needed a new pair of dragon hide gloves and Sirius was running low on Potions supplies so they went to the potion supply store.

Then, learning that Lupin had saved enough money to finally buy himself a tawny barn owl, they made their way to the Magical Menagerie.

"Look at this cat!" Sirius said, wandering around the shop. The cat in question was a beautiful tiger cat. Its name, the assistant informed them, was fittingly Tiger. "If I didn't already have an owl, I'd buy him."

"Actually, I've already bought her," Lily Evans said, stepping out from behind one of the many shelves carrying a collar, some food, and other things for her newly purchased magical cat.

James's hand flew to his hair again, this time not noticing. "Hey, Lily."

"Potter," she acknowledged. "Black, Remus. Where's Peter? Not part of today's plotting?"

The use of Remus and Peter's first names but not his own or Sirius' did not escape him but he forced himself to answer evenly. "No more plotting, Lily," James swore. "I'm a changed man," he said, stressing the word 'man'.

"And what makes you think that I'm going to believe that? You've been pranking people since your first year – all four of you. Why have you made such a sudden change?"

"You haven't heard yet? I'm your partner in crime this year," James told her arrogantly as he walked over to the counter so that he was standing next to her. As he talked he gently stroked Tiger's orange-white fur.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked tiredly. She never understood why he couldn't get right to the point. Only a corner of her brain registered that he was standing so close and wasn't actually doing anything wrong. In fact, Tiger seemed particularly drawn to him, more so than she had to anyone but Lily herself. Unfortunately the rest of her mind and her mouth decided to say, "And get your hand out of hair. It's plenty ruffled already. Quidditch hasn't even started yet."

"But hun, at James's house, Quidditch never ends!" Sirius explained in such a serious tone that Remus almost laughed.

"To answer your question though," James said returning to the previous topic and taking his hand out of his hair, "I'm Head Boy."

"You!? You're joking, right? Has Dumbledore gone mad?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lily. Might I remind you that I tied you for OWLS last year? And the times I got caught performing a prank were very few."

Lily laughed scathingly. "The times you got caught were few, James, but the times you were suspected or known by Dumbledore were many. I can't believe that he's appointed you Head Boy!"

James loved her laugh. Actually, when he thought about it, he loved everything about her: her smile, her bright green eyes, her flaming red hair, her attitude, her intelligence…

Remus poked James in the back covertly. When James turned around he mouthed, "You're staring."

"Well, Lily, I was thinking that you and I should get together next week to get Head things straightened out before the meeting on the Hogwarts Express," referring to the Prefects meeting where the Heads explained the rules and duties of the Prefects and handed out rounds.

"Potter, why would I want to spend more time with you than I need to? Anyway, the last week of my vacation I'm spending with Michelle and Kimberly, not with the Marauders." Lily used James's last name even after noting the use of her first. Michelle Clark and Kimberly McIntire were Lily's best friends and roommates along with Alice Greenly in Gryffindor tower.

An idea hit Sirius; "They can all stay at your house, James! Remus and Peter are going to be there for the last week, you might as well throw an all-out party!"

"As tempting as that sounds," Lily said. "I'd believe I'm speaking for all of my friends when I say thanks, but no thanks."

"Lily, I really would like to work on Heads business; nothing else, I promise. One day, that's all I ask. I'm trying to take this seriously."

"Fine, Potter. Monday, meet me at Florean's at three o'clock. If you're late, I'll leave. I am supposed to be at Kimberly's house at five. That gives us two hours."

As Lily turned to walk away James lightly caught her arm and turned her to face him again. "I'm assuming you know my first name, Lily. I would prefer that you use it," he told her quietly, a pure look of innocence and hopefulness evident in his hazel eyes.

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**Please review! If you liked it, hated it, or were indifferent, I want to know! Constructive criticism is appreciated. If there's some way that I can improve, please let me know! Thanks for reading!**

**-Lalaith Rana**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Sorry about the long time between updates! My New Year's Resolution this year is to write more so hopefully it won't be as long before the next update! Thanks for sticking with me!

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not to me.

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**Chapter 2: A Lily for Eternity**

The weekend days passed all too quickly for Lily Evans and all too slowly for James. Lily occupied her time packing her school trunks, making sure she had finished all of her summer schoolwork, and spending time with her mother Helen and her father Harold. Petunia chose to disappear whenever Lily was around, most of the time with her pig of a boyfriend Vernon Dursley who seemed to share her opinion on anything 'unnatural'. James, however, spent the days daydreaming about the upcoming event. He made lists and plans, hoping to impress Lily with how organized he could be.

When the fated day arrived James was out of bed in record time – five thirty in the morning. He showered and spent more time in front of the mirror trying to decide what to wear than any girl on a normal day. He finally chose a pair of new denims, a Puddlemere United quidditch shirt (navy blue with two crossed gold bulrushes) and his trainers. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't tame his hair which seemed to stick up even more whenever he tried to tidy it. He promised himself that he would keep his hand out of his hair when around Lily; though it always seemed to have a mind of its own when he was around her. He spent the morning trying to relax and decided when that didn't work that he might as well start on his homework that he had left until the last minute, like always. He left for Diagon Alley at two o'clock deciding to check out the new brooms before he met the girl of his dreams.

Lily was much different that day: she woke late and rushed getting ready before it was time for her to eat lunch. She showered and threw on a simple white tank top along with a pair of denims and some sandals. Seeing as this was her last meal with her family before she left for Kimber's house she ran down the stairs to help her mother cook. At fifteen minutes to three Lily Apparated to Diagon Alley and walked straight to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor to wait for James, hoping desperately that he wouldn't show up on time.

Against her wishes James appeared only five minutes later than Lily herself carrying a handful of papers. He ordered two sundaes from Florean before he sat down next to Lily and spread the papers out in front of them. As he explained what they meant Lily's mind registered that he had done nothing wrong yet… maybe he had changed, it also registered that he was sitting extremely close to her to point to things on the paper furthest from himself.

"…of course this is subject to change because of Quidditch practice. As far as I am aware there are only three Quidditch players who are prefects, as well as me. Two of us are on the same team; the other two are in Ravenclaw so it shouldn't be very difficult to schedule rounds around practices…"

"How much time did you spend on this?" Lily questioned wonderingly. She couldn't believe how much work must have gone into the planning.

"The past two days is all. I figured I'd better get it done before the rest of the Marauders get to my house, though they can't cause more trouble than Sirius has all summer…" Sirius had escaped from the Black house late in the summer between fifth and sixth year and had taken up refuge at the Potter Manor. Now James's parents consider Sirius almost a second child.

"Somehow I can't believe that living with Sirius is as bad as living with my sister," Lily let slip. Her cheeks started to turn a light pink.

James's eyes went wide. "You can't be saying that you find someone more maddening than a Marauder?" he said in wonderment. She had never once admitted that there was someone worse than James or Sirius.

"Actually, I don't mind Remus and Peter much. It's just you two," Lily relapsed, returning to her old self. "But… to tell the truth, Petunia is much worse than you and Sirius. We used to get along until I got my letter…"

"Then she started to treat you like a freak," James supplied quietly, understanding because of what Remus had told him about what happened after he had been bitten.

"That, yes, but she started ignoring me too, which was worse than anything. She's one of the only people I see when I go home and she won't even look at me because I'm a _witch_. She's scared of me, which hurts. I've done nothing to her, ever. Even when I was young and my powers started appearing. Plus, now she has Vernon, who hates me as well…"

For the next two hours Lily and James sat eating ice cream that Florean provided for them and talking about their lives. Only then did James look at his wristwatch and jump. "Lily! You were supposed to be at your friend's house half an hour ago!" he reminded her.

"How could I have lost track of time? Kimber is going to kill me!" Lily quickly gathered all of her things with James's help. James also gave her his papers to finish looking over. "Thanks, Florean!" Lily yelled quickly, getting ready to Apparate to Kimberly's house with her trunk. Before she went she remembered: "Good-bye… James." Lily was so concentrated on the task at hand that she didn't see James huge grin when he realized that she had, for the first time that he could remember, called him by his first name.

A loud crack was heard as Lily appeared outside the McIntire's house thirty-five minutes later than promised. Soon after Lily regained herself after the awful sensation of Apparating her two friends that she hadn't seen for almost three months crushed her again.

"You're late," Kimber said sternly, stepping back from the hug and eyeing her friend. "Why?" she asked suspiciously. "I thought you were with Potter before you came here."

"Well, yeah… I was with James," Lily replied, turning slightly red.

"And you didn't try to get out of there as fast as humanly possible?" Michelle asked.

"Elle," Lily sighed, "we were talking Heads' business and he had some good ideas. I guess we just got caught up in the planning. What, Kimber?" Kimberly's mouth was hanging wide open.

"James?"

"What about him?" Lily asked, confused.

"You said 'James', not Potter, not bigheaded arrogant prat. No, you said 'James'."

"That is his name, isn't it? James Potter."

"James Potter, the seventh year Gryffindor student who has asked you out constantly since fourth year, who is friends with blokes such as Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, who pranks anyone who comes within hexing distance and even some who don't—us included. If you will, remember back to second year with the cheering charms, third year's hair dye, fourth year's enchanted suits of armor, fifth year's haunted dorm, or last year's particularly _funny_—" she spat the word "—wardrobe change."

Now you see, in first year the girls had gotten on fairly well with the Marauders—that was before the start of the year prank their second year of school. The boys had learned to do cheering charms and decided that Lily, Kimberly, and Michelle would make good – in other words, entertaining – subjects. The three of them had spent their first few classes giggle and bouncing and making fools of themselves until Professor McGonagall had sent them to Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse.

They were still on friendly terms until third year. On the train, somehow the Marauders had managed to sneak muggle hair dye, strengthened with wizarding spells, into their hair products, turning Kimber, Elle, and Lily's hair blue, purple, and red, respectively. Since Lily's hair was already red it hadn't mattered much to her, it was just the moral of the thing.

In fourth year after Lily had turned James down for a date he had enchanted a few of the school's suits of armor to follow her around for the day of the would-be date singing horribly written love songs to her in very off key metallic voices. The only escape from them was her dorm seeing how the stairs leading up to the girls' dorm turned into a slide when they tried to climb – the only problem being that unless she sprinted up the stairs they would transform before she made it to her room as well as the fact that after a few minutes the entire common room was yelling for her to come down claiming that even the love songs would be a relief from the clanging of the armor as the suits tried to climb the stairs time and time again.

Fifth year was the worst yet as the Marauders haunted the girls' dorm the night before their O.W.L.s by bewitching their beds to rock, the air to howl and scream and the door to lock them in. Only at three the next morning did they get to sleep, waking every hour or so to yet another scream from nowhere. Needless to say, Lily had tried extra hard on all of her tests receiving 'O's in all except Transfiguration in which she got an 'E' which was better than she had expected herself.

And last but not least the wardrobe change. As a start of term prank the girls had woken up to find all of their clothes sporting the words "In Love With the Marauders" on the fronts, and "Courtesy of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs" on the backs. As Lily thought back though, she remembered the look of outrage on James's face as he saw the back and warned Lily not to try any spells to remove the words so seriously that she believed him and heeded his warning. Unfortunately Kimber and Elle hadn't, and ended up running out of the Great Hall in their underclothing amidst much laughter, pointing, and ogling as their outer clothing turned invisible. Lily had been furious to say the least. As she stormed out of the hall James had run after her, shouting that he had had nothing to do with the prank. Now, Lily was wondering whether or not she should have believed him.

"Yes, I am talking about that James Potter. I think… I think he might have changed."

Kimber and Elle burst out laughing. "Come on, Lils," Kimber said, grabbing Lily's arm and steering her into the Clark house. "Are you hungry? We have to wait for my parents to get home before we eat dinner and they won't get back until after eight. We can always whip up some snacks, though."

"No, that's okay," Lily replied. "James bought me some ice cream while we were at Florean's."

Elle gasped. "I can't believe I didn't see it sooner! Lily Marie Evans, you're falling for Potter!"

"What? No!" Lily denied. "I've hated him for… five years! There's no way I'd start to even _like_ him again, let alone fall for him!" While Michelle and Kimberly tried to get information out of Lily, Lily was heading to what she knew was her room for the last week of summer.

She had claimed the room the summer of third year when the three girls had started this tradition. It was one of the three guest rooms in the Clark's house and was Lily's favorite colors – blue, green, and yellow. It seemed strange at first to Elle and Kimber that the girliest of them chose the least girly room but now that they really knew her, it was natural. The room was painted bright green with white furniture. Yellow and blue flowers and pillows decorated the room just like she knew they would.

Kimber's room was pink and blue with accents of purple, while Elle's room – another of the guest rooms – was the most relaxed decorated all in earth tones. It was the room that Kimberly's aunts and uncles normally stayed in while her cousins inhabited the room Lily was staying in as well as the other room.

Lily levitated her trunk over to the foot of the bed and set it down carefully.

"When you finish unpacking, we'll be waiting in my room," Kimberly told Lily as she and Michelle left the room still discussing the suspected crush of Lily's. As their voices faded down the hall Lily opened her trunk and gasped. A perfect lily lay on top of her clothes and books. She lifted it out and found that it had been resting on top of a note. She quickly unfolded it and read:

_My dearest Lily,_

_The flower is spelled to remain alive as long as my love for you continues (so long as it remains in water). I hope you don't mind that I put it inside your trunk._

_Yours for eternity._


End file.
